all that is gold is rusting
by escapedreality
Summary: The war ended when she was twelve and he fifteen and perhaps they were naïve to think all was well. Perhaps it was only the beginning. Oneshots. TophSokka.


**a/n:** Drabble-esque pieces for all the prompts, all at once and late because I procrastinate everything, even things I want to do. Tokka 2011. Also, title is stolen from the Temper Trap and their song Soldier On. (it's good- check it out!)

all that is gold is rusting

The war ended when she was twelve and he fifteen and perhaps they were naive to think all was well.

.: rumble :.

The second month after the bad guy lost and the crazy one had been soundly locked up and the rightful heir was restored to his Fire Nation throne, the rest of them came meandering home.

The trucks and tanks and soldiers marchmarchmarching into a capital half torn between jubilance and shame.

They came around the clock from the Earth Kingdom and in the dead of night two months, three weeks and six days after it all ended only one person was awake to see them. Well, she thought so anyway.

Sokka stumbled out to the balcony into the sticky Fire Nation heat, bleary eyed yet wide awake. Toph sat on the railing, feet set against the stone.

"Can't sleep either, Snoozles?"

"Wow, well spotted Toph," he said, regretting it immediately with a fist size chuck of the floor slammed into his shin. Wincing, the warrior took a seat beside his friend.

"Why are you up anyway, Toph?"

"All I can feel is the rumbling of the damn tanks," she said, voice uncharacteristically soft and fists clench until her knuckles turned white. Slightly alarmed by it all, Sokka made a feeble attempt at a joke- the only defense he'd ever known.

"What? Don't tell me you're scared!"

Too soon, perhaps.

"I'm not scared! Just," a pause, "used to running."

If it was anyone else, he'd gather them in a hug or pat them on the back or- something. But it's not; it's Toph, so Sokka shuts up and stares out over the capital, sitting in silence as memories of months of fear and running and not knowing ran through his brain.

.: addiction :.

She wishes she could say there was a time when she was proper. Not that she ever has wanted to bow perfectly or pour tea like a lady of anything like that. But a proper girl- young woman- who didn't want (need) to _fight_ anymore.

The war was gone (and she doesn't know that in nary five months another one will be all but full-fledged) but the fight- an animal- remained locked her her limbs, her mind, her heart.

Locked in her since the day the tanks came rumbling home to their nation in a volcanic archipelago five years before.

Free. They were free. Free except the few, the leaders rightfully punished and those trapped in their own minds. They-

_Snap_.

She spins wildly, arms raised, feet sliding and chains of stone snap the intruder's limbs to their sides and to the ground. Dirt (dust, sand) gags them and Toph raises a boulder ready to turn and attack them, Fire Nation scum. Ozai loyalists, Equalists- she doesn't even comprehend how they can even exist in the same person.

"Toph!" The voice cries, though muffled, thrashing against the bonds that hold him. Toph drops the boulder inches from his leg and walks over and listens.

The heartbeat is familiar- six years familiar.

"Shit! Sokka!" The gag falls and the rock retreats and the twenty year old Warrior rubs his wrists angrily.

"What the fuck, Toph?"

"I-" she stutters a bit, "I thought you were Fire Nation." Sokka's eyes widen and he rubs his temple.

"Then the question still remains; I doubt Zuko would be thrilled with you attacking his soldiers," the tribesman says, picking up his boomerang from the dirt road. "Are you trying to incite an excuse for mutiny?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Sokka! Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm wrong for wanting to fight the bastards. I'm not killing them."

He stepped forward quickly, grabbing her by the shoulders. She couldn't look him in the face, or she could but see nothing. But she could feel the tight grip and the quick, irregular heart beating.

"Toph- I know, Spirits I know! Don't you think I feel the same? Who traveled through the Earth Kingdom with you after the war? Who visited all those villages? Zuko? Aang? _Katara?_ No! I did and you'd best realize soon that those monsters are just being replaced by others."

And then, quietly, to himself: "Suki would know."

It was easiest for her to pretend she didn't hear; that she was deaf as well.

"It's all I know, Snoozles. It's either give in to the fight or be the weak little Bei Fong princess-"

"Then fight! But by Tui and La pick the right ones!"

A small (forced) smirk. "Thanks for the wisdom, O General." Sokka responded in kind, the corners of his mouth lifting.

And the smiles bandaged the achingconfusedhurt hearts (+ minds) temporarily.

.: plan of attack :.

Darkness. That's what Sokka woke to, complete and total black that consumed the space he was in. Although, where that was was undetermined.

Whatever- whoever, judging by their breathing, seemed asleep. He had a momentary panic, terrified that the Equalists had caught up with him. He made a quick attempt to sit up but yelped as his shoulder erupted in pain. He fell back down onto the person's stomach, eliciting an "oomph!"

Then, "You meathead!" followed by a solid punch to his leg and a string of admittedly impressive curses. Still, despite being on the receiving end of this he could only muster a feeling of relief upon hearing his best friend's voice.

"Toph.." his voice cracked as he spoke.

"What? You better have something good to say or I swear to Oma I will leave you here to rot!"

Sokka considered this, realizing that yeah, he had screwed up and this was most likely his fault and perhaps it was best to start with the most innocent questions first.

"Where are we?"

"Underground," she said shortly, as Sokka blanched.

"We're not dead... are we?" he asked. She smacked him again.

"No, we're maybe a hundred meters from where you were shot because you are a blundering idiot can't ever follow orders."

His first reaction was to retort with something clever, or true. Yet: "You dragged us underground?"

"Bent, actually. But yeah. I don't know how long we've been here but it's been long enough that I'm starving. The small army you decided to take on must of found our sudden disappearance a bit suspicious, so I decided to lay low for a little."

"Literally."

She helped him sit up, proping him against the dirt wall of the small, square room. She stood up; there was plenty of room for her shorter stature and hushed the injured man when he started to speak. She shifted her feet on the cold earth and stood, silent and listening.

"I don't hear anything," she said, cautiously.

"Good, then let's go. I can't see a Spirits damned thing," Sokka complained, waving his hand in front of his face as if to test this theory.

"Neither can I," responded Toph, slowly beginning to raise both the floor and ceiling of the claustrophobic cube. Sokka gave a satisfied smirk before he realized.

"Toph!"

The light was blinding as the earth opened up and the two limped out. Well, at least Sokka limped, heavily supported by the smaller girl. As his eyes adjusted, he took a long look at her.

Her face was gaunt and was coated in dirt (more than usual, that is); her hair hung limply at the sides of her face, devoid of the usual headband. The front of her shirt was torn several inches shorter than the back. After a quick check, Sokka found these items wrapped haphazardly around his shoulder and down his arm.

She set him down, leaning against a rock and she took a seat as well, feet however, still firmly planted flat on the ground.

"Jeez, Toph," said Sokka. "You look like shit."

He supposed he deserved the slap that followed.

.: mother :.

The palanquin lurched to a stop as the men holding it did also, the earth stopping it's path of travel suddenly at the entrance to the Royal Court of the Fire Nation.

A young woman jumped off, and after a moment's thought, sent up a stone staircase for her travel mate, who walked down with more care.

"Sparky!" she shouted, running toward the young Firelord at the center of the welcoming crowd. He stumbled back from the force of the Master Earthbender careening into him at full speed, wrapping her arms around his waist. It drew a small smile from the Firebender who gave her a hug back.

"Hello, Toph," he said, giving a dismissing wave to the guards. After years, it was obligatory more than anything and sure enough, they hadn't even made a twitch to "defend" the Firelord, whatever protocol may have been.

"What, Mai, no hug for me?" the Water Tribesman joked, making his way over to the Fire Lady, arms wide open. She rolled her eyes without comment but merely gave a flash of the stiletto hidden in her grand sleeves.

"Glad to see everyone's normal then," said Toph sarcastically. She paused a moment, "Wait, whose the new guy?" she questioned, pointing in their general direction. A true grin now spread across Zuko's face.

"Sokka, Toph," he intoned, with all the respect of a formal introduction, "I'm pleased to introduce to you, the Dowager Fire Lady Ursa. Or, my mother."

The woman, though still quite young in appearance, was venerable in her own right; she stood straight as an arrow, graying hair pulled into a neat top-knot with the small gold insignia sticking out of it. Lines caressed her face and the extravagant robes hung noticeably loosely on her thin body. Still, she smiled broadly at the two masters before her.

Sokka gave a low bow in her direction but Toph tilted her head and gave a soft 'huh.' "Funny," she stated, shifting her feet, "I thought you'd be taller." Ursa gave a soft chuckle.

"And I must say you seemed far larger in the stories I've heard."

Toph gaffawed, "I like her."

"Zuko has told me many things about you and Master Sokka," she said as Sokka shifted slightly, still unaccustomed to the titles.

"What types of things?" Toph asked, innocently enough while the swordsman gave Zuko a questioning look. Mai let a malicious smirk find a way across her face as she turned to Zuko and whispered to him:

"You're screwed."

.: cozy :.

Even the greatest soldiers get a leave at some point. Or are forced to take one, if you're Toph Bei Fong.

She huffed around the Fire Nation palace, usually only in her pants and bindings- something that Zuko had requested she didn't do. Apparently, some of the newer guards were getting a bit distracted. Naturally, Toph continued doing it.

After all, the Fire Nation was freaking _hot._

She missed her tent and the middle of forests and the cool air seeping in. Sure, she could have gone back to Gaoling but-

anyway.

Sokka had taken the opportunity to visit his home and his father. Possibly Katara, he told her. But knowing Aang, they were most likely flying somewhere else, helping people. To be fair, he offered Toph a place if she wanted to come but there was know way she waltzing off to somewhere where she was in effect, blind.

"Zuko is making his usual request," said the figure approaching down the hall.

"Tell Princess Sparky he can shove it," Toph said irritably. Mai snorted.

"Bored here, are you?"

"Not nearly as much as you are, Monotone."

Mai rolled her eyes; "You didn't answer the question."

Toph huffed, blowing her bangs out of useless eyes. "The place is too big. It's like an enormous cavern with all the rooms and halls.

It has plenty of viper-rats, too," she added as an afterthought, her one and only afternoon listening to various councils spit at each other surfacing in her mind.

"I miss the tent- it was small and cozy. It felt like a home should."

"You miss Sokka," Mai corrected. Toph's mouth opened in an indignant 'No' but instead she shoved her pride back down her throat and relented.

"Yeah."

.: tease :.

She walked out into the common area of the small apartment in Ba Sing Se and Sokka choked on his drink. Her dress- dress!- could barely count as an article of clothing. It was sheer and short and the neckline dipped _far_ too low.

"I was thinking," she began, taking no heed of the swordsman's sputtering and sitting cross- legged on the floor, causing her clothing to rise up her thigh several more inches. "Neither of us even _like_ these formal, fancy-shmancy dinners. So why go?"

"You're joking," Sokka stumbled out. A smirk- finally, something he was familiar with- spread across her face. She slid her hand sharply over the stone floor and then sharply back. A chunk, situated directly under the table, glided over to her. She jumped up, feeling around for her prize.

"Snoozles, you know I never tease," she said, holding up the bottle of fire-rum- illegally imported from the Fire Nation.

Two empty bottles later, he decided they probably weren't missed anyway. His body felt like fire ran through his veins and he thought if he concentrated hard enough he could shoot flames out of his fists like Zuko. However, glancing over at the flushed Earthbender reclining on her own stone sofa, he decided he had better ways to spend his time.

"I think it's time for bed," he said standing and holding out a hand for Toph who gave him a confused look.

"You're kidding! The night's still young," she insisted, Sokka leaned over, placing his hands on either side of her; he grinned as she colored even deeper.

"Toph, you should know I never tease."

.: secrets :.

It was seven years to the day that the war had ended.

And Sokka glanced over his shoulder to check on his companion; he turned just in time, to his horror, to see her lose her footing on the cliff's edge as a projectile zipped by her ear. She gave a small scream as she began to fall.

Abandoning forethought, Sokka dropped his boomerang and dove, grabbing her by the wrist. His heart was pounding like thunder through his ears and he held onto her for all he was worth.

"Toph!"

She'd swung out of his grasp.

He sat up, dazed. Then he felt the earth shifting beneath him and out of the corner of his eye, the grass heaved and opened wide, swallowing the rag-tag rebel group where they stood. His jaw hanging loose, he peered over the edge to see a perpetually dirty girl standing proudly on a small shelf of rock.

"Spirits, Toph," he whispered to himself. She lifted the shelf even with the rest of the cliff, stepping back onto sturdy ground and slapping her hands together.

"Well, that was quick," she said. "Uh, Snoozles?"

Sokka had gathered her in his arms, face buried in her hair. Toph moved to pull away until she felt water dripping down onto her neck. "Snoozles, are you crying? C'mon, man up!"

He let go but couldn't stop and sunk down to his knees, sobbing. Toph approached him warily- never had she seen her friend (?) like this. Goofy, stern, idiotic, sure. But cry?

"Sokka?" she tried.

"Don't go," he whimpered, clasping her small hand between his. "Don't go."

Sighing, she knelt beside him, awkwardly placing her arm around his broad shoulders. "Are you going to tell me why you're breaking down on me like this?"

The warrior took a deep shuddering breath, "You almost fell- you did fall. Jus- just like last time."

"I almost failed, again," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I can't lose you, Toph. No one else can die because I fuck up. Spirits, fuck- it was the most terrifying moment of my life on that airship. I-"

He was cut off from his rambling as Toph pressed her lips against his. The wind howled around them, atop the cliffs and his weapons lay forgotten several yards away. His arm was still wrapped from the last time she'd saved his ass and her hair falling haphazardly out of it's confinement as he responded in kind, pulling her closer.

His hand were on her waist and hers in his hair, nails clicking against beads as they hit. Somewhere, a war- rebellion- was being fought; neighbors against neighbors, international and intranational.

But it didn't matter to the two atop the mountain, wind howling as Toph pulled away and whispered into his ear:

"I'll never leave."

...

**a/n:** Whew. Should I continue with more oneshots on this? Yes? No?


End file.
